PeaceMaker

Boris followed behind them silently for the next few hours, a few steps behind them along the way, following as a baby duck does for its mother. It was frustrating. 

It wasn't the fact that he was walking. He had spent months and months on end walking these palace walls, he was well familiar with the halls that he needed to be in and was aware of those that he didn't. He knew about a third of the palace like the back of his hand and had had practice walking them. It wasn't tiring, he wasn't bored. It was the silence. 

The prickling cold silence in the air around him. It felt tense. Something was off. Something was off with Dominic. 

It wasn't silent around him. There was chattering, happy back and forth between Dominic, Axel, and Desilva. They were conversing on things that Boris listened to silently, conversations that he could only halfway understand as it was about Dominic's experience at war with the two. 

It was a light atmosphere around the three. Like friends that have known each other for a while with a strong bond and although they hadn't known each other for a long time, they were strongly bonded. They lived through life and death together afterall.

Boris understood that. He could see the special bond that they had, he liked it, he appreciated it. It was what the prince needed in this time after the war to take his mind off the trauma by surrounding himself with friends. He was glad that the prince was able to rely on other people for happiness when he needed it and from the looks of it, he could trust them. It was an amazing bond. 

A really great one. 

One that was being used as a wall between him and Dominic as of the moment. 

The feeling was just an unproven guess at first, something he dusted off his mind after he spoke to Dominic briefly at the meeting. But it doubled when it became an hour after, two hours and now reaching 3 and not another word had passed between the two. The air between them felt chilly, he could feel it. 

He didn't like that, but he couldn't change it. 

There were no entrances for him to join the conversation, and he wasn't of the proper title to be able to speak with them. Despite being the temporary replacement for Dominic, without a proper ranking in the palace, within a week or so his power would be the same as it was as Dominic's personal guard. 

'And when that happens…' Boris thought to himself as he gazed at Dominic's back. 'When that happens… I won't be able to speak to him at all unless I force him to speak.'

If he went back to being a personal guard, there would be no reason for him to talk to Dominic unless he was called on or directed to speak. Of course, he had broken that rule many times a year ago, but there was a difference now that he was more experienced. It's harder to act freely when you're aware that what you're doing is wrong. 

Especially since I've had a little taste of his level now… It would feel weird to speak to him myself,' Boris thought to himself, his golden eyes dimming slightly. 

"Hahahah!"

A burst of bright laughter snapped Boris out of his thoughts and he looked up to see golden hair swish backward slightly and Dominic laughed, his white teeth flashing almost as bright as his eyes seemed to shine. 

Boris' heart skipped a beat and he immediately lowered his eyes. His mind switched back to the night before when he had first seen that type of smile alone with Dominic. His heart skipped another beat and he raised his head sharply, his steps not once faltering. 

'It's getting hard…' he thought to himself, 'these feelings. This lusting…' 

He cleared his mind of Dominic's smile and continued to follow them. 

It was only a few minutes later after they visited the last part of the palace tour that the group came to a stop. 

"We're here! Desilva, are you aware of where you are?" Dominic asked, turning to Desilva with a smile. 

She surveilled her surroundings for a moment before nodding her head. "The route back to my tribe's quarters," she flashed a smile of self-approval, "I've been here enough times to know, your highness."

Desilva's tribe was settled into the southwest wing of the palace, on the 1st floor, and resided in about 15 rooms, sharing them with each other. Since most of the people from their village decided to stay back at the village, only about 30 of them came to Averia after the battle. 

"I'd hardly call a day 'enough times' Desilva," Dominic teased to which Axel chuckled, "but I suppose it's enough to notice some patterns in your surroundings."

Desilva rolled her eyes and Dominic laughed again. 

"I'm guessing this is my stop?" she asked 

"Unless you plan on following me around for the rest of the day…" Dominic murmured with a raised eyebrow. 

Desilva winced, her feet trembling slightly, "I'll take my leave now, your highness," she bowed hurriedly. 

Dominic grinned as he watched her lightly skip down the hallway and turning around the corner and seconds later, excited squeals of welcome echoed from her direction. 

"They sound really excited to see come her back," Axel grinned. 

"It's probably her best friend," Dominic chuckled, "she's got quite the energetic bunch of friends."

Axel rolled his eyes teasing. "And you would know since you insisted on spending half of your day with her village."

"It wasn't like I was just frolicking through meadows," Dominic shrugged, "I didn't even get to do that until 2 months ago after it finally stopped being an icy tundra."

"You always have a comeback for everything your highness," Axel chuckled 

"I've learned from the best," Dominic grinned winking at Axel. 

Axel twitched slightly, freezing for a moment before smiling and turning away just as his face began to heat up.

Boris glanced at Dominic for a reaction but received nothing despite Dominic clearly seeing Axel's reaction. 'So this is normal?' Boris thought to himself, his eyes looking down at Axel for a moment before skirting back to Dominic, 'to them?'

He flinched at his thoughts, immediately shoving them away. 'Not that kissing each other is normal either.'

"So where to next, your highness," Axel asked, his long black hair that flowed to his waist swished behind him as he spoke. 

Dominic stared at Axel for a moment, his eyes following the movement of Axel's hair.

"Your highness?" Axel repeated. 

"I don't think I ever got used to seeing your hair," Dominic chuckled lightly to which Axel flinched, "it's so… long. I don't know how you can maintain it at that length." His hand brushed against his curls, Boris' eyes tracing his movements as if he was in a trance. "It almost makes me wish mine could be like that."

'Got used to seeing?' Boris thought to himself, '... why does he like it that much?'

Axel blushed slightly, his lips spreading into a smirk. "I'm not sure you would like to keep this hair, your highness, there's a lot more to long hair than just brushing and leaving it to sparkle in the light."

"So you are aware your hair glows," Dominic chuckled. 

"As aware as I was when I washed and took care of it for hours," Axel shrugged smugly. Dominic burst into light laughter, his eyes crinkling beautifully as emerald green shone brightly. 

Boris' eyes were immediately drawn in a trance, pinned on Dominic's enticing beauty and as soon as he got his wits together, he noticed Axel was too. His trance melted away.

"I could give you hair tips," Axel suggested, as he motioned towards Dominic's golden locks, "I can see yours is starting to grow more."

"Really?!" Dominic exclaimed, excitement filling his voice.

"Of course," Axel chuckled, "that and some medical knowledge. I noticed that you need some."

"Hahaha… I'm sure you can," Dominic smiled. 

"But honestly your highness, where to next?" Axel asked, "am I going to be dropped off next? I'm sure you have some things to do too."

"Oh?" Dominic smirked, his eyebrows raising, "you'd like to follow me around too?"

"If I'm needed," Axel nodded confidently to which Dominic smiled. 

Boris flinched, immediately finding the need to interrupt. His hands reached for Dominic for the first time in the past few hours and tapped on his shoulder. "Your highness, you may have some meetings to attend with Kalmin today." It was his chance. Just them together, alone.

They maintained eye contact for a moment, eyes beginning to melt into each other when Dominic's eyes slipped away. "I'm sure it could wait while I get some medicine learning in." 

It was almost like lightning, a strike running through him. Something was definitely wrong.